A senator has formally filed Senate Resolution No. 397 that demands a thorough, impartial investigation into the discharge of firearms within the Senate premises which occurred amid the presence of armed law enforcement personnel.
Sen. Bam Aquino emphasized that the Senate must remain a sanctuary for democratic processes entirely free from intimidation and violence.
“Unang-una, kailangan kong klaruhin, walang lugar ang armadong komprontasyon o pagputok ng baril sa loob ng Senado. Kaya finile natin yung Senate Resolution 397 para malaman ng taong bayan at malaman rin namin ano ba talaga yung nangyari. Merong nangyaring pagputok, maraming empleyado, ang inakalang mamamatay sila,” he said.
The proposed inquiry aims to dissect critical failures in security protocols and communication systems that allowed such an incident to transpire. Aquino noted that even lawmakers remain in the dark about the exact sequence of events.
“Kaming mga Senador, hindi rin malinaw. Hanggang ngayon, hindi rin malinaw kung ano ba talaga yung nangyari at mahalaga sa taong bayan na malaman natin, let’s get to the bottom of this, what really happened that night. At makita natin ano ba yung nangyari mga failure ng protocol, failure ng communication. Malaman natin ano ba talaga mismo yung nangyari at malaman rin natin kung sinong dapat managot,” Aquino said.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano taking the helm as Senate President that coincided directly with historic impeachment developments surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives.
The senator reminded his colleagues that political realignments must never derail their constitutional duties. Once any impeachment articles are transmitted to the Upper House, the Senate must act strictly as an impartial court.
“Para itigil yung constitutional duty namin dahil sa kampihan, yun mali yun… yun mali yun. So I think that’s gonna be the big decision. That’s gonna be the big moment talaga eh na magsasabi kung para saan ba talaga itong leadership change,” the senator added.
He also expressed deep concern that these political power plays are actively distracting leaders from addressing the heavy economic burdens borne by ordinary citizens.
“Maraming nanonood pero walang natutuwa. Dahil none of those discussions actually talks about the Filipino people na meron pa ring oil crisis ngayon, meron pa ring cost of living crisis ngayon, marami pa ring nahihirapan,” he said.
The senator urged the people to take a proactive stance and must focus on the “real” crisis which is happening at the gas pump and in the public markets. He alerted the public that the focus on political personalities is allowing the most pressing economic issues to go unaddressed like the price of rice projected to climb toward P64 per kilo by July.
He also criticized the government’s failure to suspend excise taxes on fuel and theinflation hitting 7% this year.
“Be vocal online. Pag-usapan niyo kung meron kayong hindi magandang nakikita. Kapag yung mga pulitiko iniiwan niyo to do our own thing, hindi niyo pinapakailaman, doon usually nagkakaproblema. Pero pagnakatutok yung taong bayan, of course, at the end it’s gonna be your vote,” he stressed.
Amid political transition, Aquino the reminds the public that their attention is the only thing that forces the Senate to operate with integrity and calling on the Filipino people to remain fiercely vigilant over their democratic institutions.
“Sana yung mga tao rin may memory sila ng mga nakaraan… sana yung atensyon ng mga tao, huwag na po mawala at sana nakatutok kayo sa amin all the time,” he said.
